The present invention is in the technical field of firearms. More particularly, the present invention is in the technical field of firearm pins. More particularly still, the present invention is in the field of firearm pins that can have pieces of a firearm or firearm accessories that pivot about the pin in a manner that increases efficiency and decreases the wear and tear on the pivot point.
Semi-automatic firearms have been known for a long time, the first semi-automatic rifle was introduced in 1885. The M-16 automatic rifle was designed in 1956 and has been used by the military from 1964. A civilian version of the M-16 is known as the AR-15 and is a semi-automatic rifle. The AR-15 has been manufactured and sold to civilians for many years.
The front takedown pin of an AR-15 style firearm is often difficult to remove, and in many cases requires the use of a pin or small tool or other pointed device. The present embodiment aids in the removal of the front takedown pin without the need for a tool. Additionally, the front takedown pin on an AR-15 style firearm can be accidentally moved from its intended place when bumped hard or mishandled. These issues are solved by the present embodiment's incorporation of a nut at the end of the present embodiments assembly, the front takedown pin is now mechanically locked in place and cannot be knocked or bumped out of place. Additionally, when one wants to remove the present embodiment's front takedown pin, the process is simplified by unscrewing the nut partially and pushing on the outside of the nut, thus easily releasing the present embodiments pin without a tool of any kind.
In recent years there have been many new laws that apply to the civilian owned AR-15 firearm. One such law has called for the separation of two halves of a firearm in order to reload a magazine, by means of disassembling the action on a two part receiver, like that on all AR-15 style firearms. The law requires the rear takedown pin to be removed, the upper receiver lifted upwards and away from the lower receiver using the front takedown pin as the fulcrum, before the magazine may be removed.
It is also a common practice by weapon enthusiasts who use firearms with two part receivers, like that on an AR-15, to remove the rear takedown pin and pivot the upper receiver about the front takedown pin in order to access the inside of the firearm. This causes wear and tear that will be reduced with the implementation of the present invention.
The inception of this and other laws has created an increased need for separation of the two halves of a firearm, by means of pivoting about the front takedown pin. This increased frequency of pivoting about the front takedown pin has increased the wear and tear on the upper and lower receivers, as well as the front takedown pin. As with many moving parts that are exposed to sometimes hot and dusty, or wet and rainy conditions, the front takedown pin will wear more quickly under the elements. The present invention is intended to increase the longevity of these components by means of creating a captive bearing system, reducing wear and tear that would have been caused by the frequent use of the front takedown pin as a pivot point. As gun-related laws continue to constrain gun use, it is expected that this invention will become more and more valuable as it becomes an even more important part of a gun enthusiast's approach to keeping his/her guns legal.
The present embodiment's function is to reduce the wear and tear that comes about from repeated motion in the area of the front takedown pin, as well as more securely house the front takedown pin in the front of the firearm and aid in the removal of the front takedown pin without the use of a tool. This reduced wear and tear is achieved by the use of the present embodiment's front takedown pin which incorporates a bearing. The bearing creates a bearing surface about which the upper and lower receivers pivot. The bearing allows for repeated motion in the area of the front takedown pin, using the pins center as the fulcrum of motion. The present embodiment being held in place with a nut on one side, and a front takedown pin head with a flat anti-rotational surface stopping the rotation of the pin. The present invention is designed to fit within the space of the front takedown pin holes of the two halves of a firearm. This is a marked and important improvement over the prior art, which provided a mere rod that connected the two halves of a firearm. Obviously a restrained and protected bearing will allow for pivotal movement with much reduced friction and opportunity for contamination.
While the aforementioned embodiment is considered a preferred embodiment, an alternate embodiment could consist of the use of a slot that is similar to the slot in a standard front takedown pin, for a detent pin to retain the head of the alternate embodiment, when pulled out and pressed in the front takedown pin would stay captive in the hole adjacent to the detent pin. An alternate embodiment could also have a rounded head on the pin. An alternate embodiment could have a nut with a hex shaped head. One could also make an alternate embodiment comprised of a screw in place of the nut and put a threaded hole in the pin, swapping the positions of the tapped hole and threaded screw. One could also easily adapt this in to alternate embodiments in order to fit on to other weapon systems such as AR-10, Bull Pup and other variants which pivot about the pin. These alternate embodiments are incorporated into this application and are considered part thereof.